Real Love Is Forever

by Annie Hall
(Christiansburg, Virginia, USA)

While growing up, I knew the fairy tales, the boy meets girl stories and the happily ever after movie endings. I thought I knew what love was and thought I had felt it. I could not have been more wrong. I never dated and the boys I had crushes on usually turned out to be jerks or never went passed friendship.

From the examples I had seen in real life, love and marriage was where two people meet, fall in love, get married, get a house, have kids and basically do whatever they wanted because they were grown-ups and could make up their own rules. I was wrong. That was what a kid sees when they see their parents telling them what to do and what not do.

When I met my husband, it was like my life officially began. We met online and I immediately felt comfortable with him and he quickly became a close friend. When we met in person, I thought I was meeting a friend who wouldn't be anything more. That thought was obliterated within 5 minutes. Love was already growing without me realizing it had been created.

A couple weeks later we kissed and it felt like it lasted forever. Within 36 hours, we were a couple and 24 hours later, he proposed. It shocked me and he would later say it just came out because at that moment he couldn't see his life without me in it. I felt the same way and the word "yes" came out and felt more right than anything I had ever known. We were married eleven months later and have been married for over fifteen years.

It didn't take long to realize that I was truly in love with this man and with that realization came the conclusion that every time I THOUGHT I was in love was not love. They were at best.. crushes. I've said this before to others and it's still true. The way I feel about my husband is like game 7 of the World Series and the other guys I had crushes on was a practice game in a little league game. There is no real comparison. This is real and those others obviously weren't because the feelings I had for them were nothing like this and I have never felt as strong about anything or anyone.

My husband is my best friend and has proven he loves me more times than I can count. I fall more in love with him every day and he has been my rock, my soul-mate, and the person I feel very strongly is the person I am meant to spend all eternity with. There's nothing I wouldn't do for him and our marriage has been based on trust, love and genuine belief of putting the other one first. I sometimes wonder what I did to deserve him and how did I get so lucky when there are others who haven't. I think it all comes down to liking myself enough to not settle for "good enough" and know the right person was out there and when that right person comes along, you allow that person completely in as they do the same for you and know that the fairy tale does exist.. if you truly want it and are willing to wait for it and work at it.